Meet Tati Jenee | Artist, Entrepreneur, Foodie, Techie

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tati Jenee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tati, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think risks are a necessary part of life. It is always sad to see how life turned out for people who never pushed for more. It’s like seeing potential in someone that they do not see themselves. However, risk is very scary – especially when you’ve fallen from those risks. It’s like how do I get up again?….Getting up again is what’s scary, and sometimes that requires therapy.

Taking risks is actually one of my main drives in life. There’s no greater fear than getting old and seeing what you could have been, where you could have gone, or what you could have done… That’s even scarier to me. So at that point, even when I’ve fallen and even failed, I’d rather manage to get back up again than to waste the one life that I have. That’s important.

Sometimes risk means stepping outside of your family norms, becoming a better person, watching new shows on TV… it can be really simple actually. Risks have played a huge role in my life and who I am today. Life is like a toss up, so it’s like, I should try this and see if it works – each time there is a 50/50 chance it will and that’s worth a try. Fifty-percent of the chances that I’ve taken were successful and became a light in my life. On the other hand, the fifty “losses or lessons” sometimes hurt; nonetheless, they pushed me to be in this exact place today.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My whole entire being is tied into my art. From fashion, to music, to style – everything is wrapped into one. There’s not one without the other. This journey has been pretty rough, as life is, because it’s just been a journey to self. People always say “work hard to be successful,” but no one ever mentions finding yourself as one of those necessary steps. It’s strange to me that my journey to self is what sets me apart. Most people don’t have the guts to travel toward that space. I overcame the challenges of this journey through healing. There were things I found out about myself that wouldn’t help me in my career, so those things had to change – FAST. I’ve learned that there’s no right way to learning yourself, business, or art. There’s no set in stone guide on how to do these things, but that’s the beauty of life and your journey – it will look completely different than the next persons.

My brand is always adapting to the world around me and also my inner world. It’s like a personal sense of innovation that keeps me on my toes. My story/brand have changed so much since I first started, and somehow it all aligned even when I hadn’t started some parts yet.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them specifically to the beach, probably Deerfield Beach because it is so family-friendly, calm, and peaceful. We would definitely try a lot different Asian spots because I love Asian food. I’ve been running into a lot of nature excursions down here lately, so we would definitely enjoy those while they’re here.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
OMG! I love this part of the interview. Well, I can always think back to my grandmother. She truly taught me many things about becoming a lady, finances, and the importance of growing into the woman I am today.. and sometimes how to get there. She was spunky and serious at times, but she had a world of knowledge that I couldn’t pay to receive today.

When we’re younger, we never see our parents as evolving with us, but my mother has taught and shown me the evolution of a woman and human being since I came into this Earth. Her sacrifices, her love, her kindness, and her resilience have kept and shown me that no matter what you endure, there’s always another reason for you to be here. She has shown me the preciousness of life itself, and I think that’s the most important thing I could have learned, ever. To be gentle, to be kind, helpful, and loving… those are some of the greatest gifts to life and that’s what a mother is. She truly has unconditional love.

My grandfather was resilient by nature and to see how his life turned out, compared to how it started is a light for me in dark times. He was born during the Great Depression and as a young man, drafted into WWII. The fact that he made it out alive and sane is mind-blowing. He never talked about the war, but the strength he had to sustain war, hunger, and poverty to then graduating with degrees in college gives me a different sight on life. It is hard for me to sometimes understand excuses when some people had it so hard but still made it. He showed me that some things in life are truly possible with faith.

I have to include a special shoutout to my family. I was very fortunate to have a family who genuinely took me under their wings, one-by-one to make sure that I had the keys and wisdom to become a better person, woman, and mother as I move through life. They really showed me things I should know, that most people don’t speak about. That wisdom definitely saved me from a lot of woes.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tati.jenee

Other: www.instagram.com/tatijeneemusic